Glacier Walk

Franz Josef Travel Blog

Well, I've just come back from the Glacier walk, and from having lunch. It was fantastic. The helicopter flight was very short (only 10 mins), but the scenery... I only got one photo from the Heli though - ran out of space. We came up over the mountain range (from the valley of the glacier), and over the mountain you could see the township and the lake and the sea. Very moving.

I could not get over the scale of the ice glacier, in the top part, there were cracks that a boat could have driven through. The part where we walked was quite good, with much smaller cracks. The guide explained that at the top of the glacier the ice expands to go down the edge, but at the more level areas the ice then contracts.

I'm quite happy that I didn't do the full day walk. Just 2 hrs walking on ice was enough. We went through small cracks, jumped gullies. I was on the *National Geographic* walk ie. the slow pace, and not much adventure. I wasn't up for too much excitement. But well worth it in the end - and I have the dirt on my pants to prove it.

Again another day that I will not soon forget.

So far on my trips I have a small cut on my finger from the glacier, a scratch on another finger from the Kayak, and blisters on both ankles from numerous walks. Can't wait for more :)

Well tomorrow I'm off for Wanaka nice and early, then onto Queenstown Friday. I'll update you all then.